Electric fire-extinguisher and fire-alarm system



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. E. BUELL. ELECTRIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. No. 280,906. Patented July 10, 1883.

. WITNESSES: Y I INVENTOR.

in Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. E. BUELL. ELECTRIC FIRE EXTINGUISHBR AND FIRE ALARM SYSTEM. No. 280,906 Patented July 10, 1883.

Fly; 2

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WITNESSES: v v INVENTOR.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. E. BUELL.

ELECTRIC FIRE BXTINGUISHER AND FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

N0. 28 0,9Q6. Patented July l0,'1883.

WITNESSES V IJY'VEJVZOB UNITED STATES PATENE thrice.

CHARLES E. BUELL, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER AND FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 280,906, dated July 10, 1883.

7 Application filed December 30, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, CHAR-LES E. B'UELL, of the city and county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented Improvements in Combined Fire-Extinguisher and Fire-Alarm Systems, of which the following. is a specification.

My invention consists, primarily, in the com bination, with a series of fire-extinguisher syS- terns, of amain electric circuit extending from each of the said series to a central station, with devices at each of the said series adapted to be made operative by the action of their respecti've systems, and to transmit a definite alarmsignal for each to the said central station, wit-h apparatus therea-t to indicate, announce, and record, or either, the said transmitted alarmsignals, substantially as hereinafter described.

My invention further consists in novel subcombinations which will be hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents the mechanism of a showing the mechanism of a signal-box of well-known construction. It is designed to have the actuatingspring of i said mechanism wound or partly wound up, and the circuitbreaking wheel to and contact-spring f normally completing the main circuit, which enters at posts at m, and held to be released by the retracting of the armature a of the electro-magnet E M, which interlocks with the catch-wheel t whenthe circuit controlling the electro-magnet E M is broken, or when anormally-open circuit is employed the attracting of the armature amay be made to release the mechanism in an obvious manner. I have also shown, Fig. 5, the lever Z of the pressure-gage G interlocked with catch-wheel 71, so that the said mechanism would be released by a de' crease of pressure upon the piston P of gage G. This latter form can be employed when it is desired to avoid using electricity. Ihe running down of the mechanism can be made to ring a bell at the box and turn in a definite signal to the central station. By having the mechanism partly wound up to produce signals when it is released, the box can be used for signaling by hand manipulation by winding it up still further and letting it run back to interlock with armature a or lever Z, as the case may be.

In Letters Patent of the United States No. 266,579, of October 24, 1882, I have described a system of fire-extinguisher consisting of pipes arranged to conduct water through a building, and provided with valves which open by heat, together with an electric circuit and devices to indicate the. pressure in said pipes and operate said electric. circuit when the pressure in said pipes becomes less than normal, and thus to turn on a water-supply to said pipes for extinguishing any fire that may have occurred, and also to instantly sound an alarm upon a gong.

In Fig. 2 the pipe I gage G, valve-wheel V, and electric circuit are arranged as set forth in said issued patent. In addition to the local alarm sounded by the gong, I include the electro-magnet E M in the signal-box A (shown in Fig. 1) in the circuit made operative by the varying of the pressure inthe pipe P, (by the action of gage G.) which in this case is a normally-open circuit. I have also shown in Fig. 2 the pipe P with valve wheel Vinterlocked with armature r of an electro-magnet, which forms a part of a closed circuit, consisting of lengths of wires not easily fused held in electrical continuity by an easily-fusible solder, as described in Letters Patent of the United States numbered 169,954, oflNovember 16, 1875, in which closed circuit the controlling electromagnet of the signal-box A is included, the local alarm being sounded by a normally-open circuit closed by armature r of the electromagnet E. M when the said closed circuit is broken by the melting of one of the soldered joints 1 2 3. The several signal-boxes of a series are arranged to operate a main circuit, preferably by being included in the direct main circuit, as shown, although each boxcan be made to ground a main circuit that is normally incomplete bybeing contained in anormally-openground branch, whichwould-be closed by the action of their respective circuitcircuit, the main line may be employed for other systems of signaling and communicating without detecting its use for the fire-alar service.

Fig. 3 shows a central station with a main battery for charging the main line, a signa1 ing-bell or ordinary register and bell, B, for indicating and recording incoming signals, with the wire 9 leading to earth or other return-circuit.

Fig. 4 is an apparatus for announcing and recording signals at the central station, and consists of a self-starting register and gong, B. Both the register and gong, being of wellknown construction, require no description.

The main line passes through the boxes A A A to earth or return-circuit, the boxes A A A being similar to the box shown in Fig.

1 and described, the local circuits for controlling said boxes being shown in their respective buildings in dotted lines.

The operation of the system is as follows Each of the boxes A A A, being provided with a circuit-breaking wheel that gives a different number of breaks for each when making a revolution, is partly wound up and its parts interlocked with the armature of an electro-magnet that is included in a circuit-inthe building where the box is located. The operation of the circuits located in the building acts to release their respective box, which, in running down, transmits a definitenumbersignal peculiar to itself to the central station over the main line, said definite numbersignal being announced or recorded, or both, by the apparatus provided for that purpose at the central station, thus locating the origin of the alarm, so that men can at once go to the scene of fire or leakage. At the same time, in event of fire, a water-pressure is turned'on to supply water for automatically extinguishing the fire, and a local alarm is vigorously sounded by the gong included in the local circuit, to give warning to any person employed to watch the building.

Several circuits may lead to one central station and pass through suitableswitch devices and annunciators for making operative a sys-; tem and for combining other modes of com-- municating and signaling therewith.

The diiferent floors of large buildings may be provided with an alarm-signal box .(shown in Fig. 1 and described) to more definitelylocate afire or a leakage of water. I

Annunciators should be placed in large buildings to guide local watchmen, the mode of connecting and arranging such annunciaw. tors with local alarms being shown and described in my issued Patent No. 266,579, pre viously referred to.

What I claim is v v 1. A main'circuit, a-battery or batteries for charging said circuit, apparatus at a central station adapted to receive signals over said circuit, and a series of stations along'said circuit,

each provided with a call mechanism adapted to transmita predetermined call over said circuit, a localcircuit adapted to be made operative by heat, and to make operative said call mechanism, anddevices controlled by said lo cal circuit for turning on a water-supply and forgiving an alarm-signal at said station.

2. 'A main circuit, a battery or batteries for charging said circuit, apparatus at a central station adapted to receive calls sent over said circuit, and a series of stations, each provided with a call mechanism, alocal circuit at each, which is normally'open and whichis adapted to make operative said call mechanism when closed, with'devices for closing said circuit by a variation of water-pressure, and devices controlled by said local circuit for producing a signal at said station when said circuit is closed. v

3. Amain-circuit and devices for receiving signalssent over said circuit, a series of stationsalong said circuit, each provided with a call mechanism-adapted to be made operative by handmanipulation or 'by a local circuit, and a .local circuit and devices adapted to make operative said call mechanism iotransmit a signal oversaid main circuit, and devices for making operative said local circuit, substantially as'described.

4. A main circuit and devices adapted to receive signals over said circuit, a series of stations, each provided with pipes held closed by valves that open by heat, a call mechanism at each adapted to transmita definite numbersignal over said main circuit, and intermediate devices betweensaid pipe and said call mechanism adapted to. make operative said call mechanism when said pipe isopened, substantially as described, for making operative said local circuit.

-6. The combination, with a call mechanism adaptedto be made operative by hand manipulationto transmit adefinite signal over one circuit, of an electro-magnet in' an independ- I 'entcircuit and mechanism in connection with said electro-magnet whereby said call mechanism is adaptedto be made operative to trans mit said definite signal by the operation of said 1 independent circuit through the intermediate action of said electro-magnet.

CHARLES E. BUELL.

Witnesses;

A. O. BUELL, J. W. BUELL- 

